kā

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ka"

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaː/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *taa (compare with Māori tā, Rarotongan tā, Samoan tā and Tongan tā), from Proto-Oceanic (compare with Fijian ta), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taRaq (compare with Malay tarah), from Proto-Austronesian *taRaq (“hewing with an adze”).

Verb

kā

1. to strike, hit, thrust, dash, hurl (especially with a quick hard stroke)
2. to wave down (of a flag)

Derived terms

• kālepa

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *taʻa, from Proto-Oceanic, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqan (compare with Malay tahan, Tagalog taan), from Proto-Austronesian *taqan (“to hold back, keep in reserve”).

Noun

kā

1. container
2. hanger

Derived terms

• kā ipu

Preposition

kā

1. of, belonging to first part of possessive constructions, a-type

   kā lāua mau keiki their children

   kā Kimo kālā Kimo's money

See also

Hawaiian possessive pronouns

			singular	dual	plural
1st person			koʻu, kaʻu kuʻu (affectionate, o- and a-type)	ko māua, kā māua (exclusive) ko kāua, kā kāua (inclusive)	ko mākou, kā mākou (exclusive) ko kākou, kā kākou (inclusive)
2nd person			kou, kāu kō (affectionate, o- and a-type)	ko ʻolua, kā ʻolua	ko ʻoukou, kā ʻoukou
3rd person			kona, kāna	ko lāua, kā lāua	ko lākou, kā lākou

The o-type forms are used for possessions that are inherited, out of personal control, and for things that can be got into (houses, clothes, cars). The a-type forms are used for acquired possessions.

Etymology 3

Noun

kā

1. czar

Hokkien

For pronunciation and definitions of kā – see 咬 (“to bite; to snap at; to gnaw”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 咬).

Japanese

Romanization

kā

1. Rōmaji transcription of かあ
2. Rōmaji transcription of カー

Khiamniungan Naga

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɑ³³/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

kā

1. (Patsho) carry

   Jujie liangkü nongni jam le lü ka va.

   Please carry home this.

Latvian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkâː]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

kā

1. how
2. as soon as

Conjunction

kā

1. as
2. since

Particle

kā

1. as
2. like

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkāː]

• Audio:

  (file)

Pronoun

kā

1. genitive of kas

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkāː]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

kā m (invariable)

1. The Latvian name of the Latin script letter K/k.

See also

• Latvian letter names:

  a (A), garais ā (Ā), bē (B), cē (C), čē (Č), dē (D), e (E), garais ē (Ē), ef (F), gā (G), ģē (Ģ), hā (H), i (I), garais ī (Ī), jē (J), kā (K), ķē (Ķ), el (L), eļ (Ļ), em (M), en (N), eņ (Ņ), o (O), pē (P), er (R), es (S), eš (Š), tē (T), u (U), garais ū (Ū), vē (V), zē (Z), žē (Ž)

Mandarin

Alternative forms

• ka — nonstandard

Romanization

kā (ka¹, Zhuyin ㄎㄚ)

1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 咖
2. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 喀
3. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 啸

Māori

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaː/ [ˈkɑː]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *kaha (“to burn”). Cognates include Hawaiian ʻā and Rapa Nui kā.

Verb

kā (passive kāinga)

1. (transitive) to burn
2. (stative) to be alight

Derived terms

• kāinga
• kakā
• kāngia
• whakakā

Etymology 2

Verb

kā

1. to screech

Derived terms

• kākā

Etymology 3

Borrowed from English car

Noun

kā

1. car

Further reading

• “kā” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀓𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• का (Devanagari script)
• কা (Bengali script)
• කා (Sinhalese script)
• ကာ or ၵႃ (Burmese script)
• กา (Thai script)
• ᨠᩣ (Tai Tham script)
• ກາ (Lao script)
• កា (Khmer script)
• 𑄇𑄂 (Chakma script)

Etymology

Synchronically, as 'thematic' feminine formed on masculine ka (“who”). This feminine formation goes back at least to Proto-Indo-Iranian *káH.

Pronoun

kā f

1. (interrogative) who
2. (interrogative) what
3. (interrogative) which

Usage notes

The pronoun may function as an interrogative adjective.

Declension

Declension table of "kā" (feminine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	kā	kāyo or kā
Accusative (second)	kaṃ	kāyo or kā
Instrumental (third)	kāya	kāhi or kābhi
Dative (fourth)	kāya or kassā	kāsaṃ or kāsānaṃ
Ablative (fifth)	kāya	kāhi or kābhi
Genitive (sixth)	kāya or kassā	kāsaṃ or kāsānaṃ
Locative (seventh)	kāya or kāyaṃ	kāsu

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kaha (“to burn”). Cognates include Hawaiian ʻā and Māori kā.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaː/
• Hyphenation: kā

Verb

kā

1. (transitive) to kindle

References

• Paulus Kieviet (2017), A grammar of Rapa Nui‎^[1], Berlin: Language Science Press, →ISBN, page 29

Tocharian B

Adverb

kā

1. why? (interrogative)

Tongan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaː/

Noun

kā

1. car

Zacatepec Chatino

Numeral

kā

1. nine